Support For Terminal Illness
It is not easy offering support for terminal illness. Often a person is hard pressed for words and feels helpless as they do not know what to do or say when someone close to them is formed that he or she has a terminal illness. One thing is for sure that when a near and dear one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, it will not change the relationship that you share with the person. However, if you are worried about it, you should look for ways to strengthen and improve the relationship. |
Make sure that you spell it out to the person that you are around and always willing to talk about anything that worries or upsets them. Just being around will lend support to your loved one. Also, remember that just like you are going through an emotional upheaval of learning about the terminal illness, your loved one will also be going through the same emotional rollercoaster. The person has to acknowledge that they have a terminal illness, and then learn to live life to the fullest. At times, your loved one may not accept that death is standing at his or her doorsteps. Do not think that this is a strange behavior. People have different ways of dealing with the possibility of dying. So, it is perfectly normal behavior.
For many people denial helps them face their situation. In fact, it is a coping mechanism, as the person has no control over things. So, by denying that they are going to die due to an illness helps them through the process of accepting the reality. Gradually, the person will learn to accept that death is imminent. If the denial is not making your loved one seek treatments that are of no value, denial is not always something bad. The denial can also be present because the person is worried about the pain, losing control over their body and mind or becoming a problem to the rest of the family. The best you can do is to encourage the person to speak about their fears and make sure that you sit and listen to the person.
Offering support for terminal illness is not easy. Usually, it is best to continue being optimistic about your loved one’s future and health, while still preparing for the imminent end. Juggling these two opposite situations is not easy, but it will help your loved one. Spend as much time as possible with the person and speak about whatever the person wants to speak. Remember, when the loved one is about to pass away, make sure that you tell the person that it is alright to leave and though you will miss the person a lot, you will still need to live on for the rest of the family.
More Articles :
Terminal Cancer: Terminal Illness Support
https://www.terminalcancer.net/illness.html
Mayo Clinic: Terminal Illness: Supporting a Terminally Ill Loved One
https://www.mayoclinic.com/health/grief/CA00041 |
When a loved one is diagnosed with a terminal illness, you will definitely want to know how to take care of the person, so that you make the rest of the person’s life comfortable. However, taking care of a terminally ill person is not easy. It can be emotionally and physically exhausting.